There's so much to say about the unbelievable toast of the Around the World Pinot Noir. Chef Trotter's sommelier poured and commented on the wine's balance--beautifuly silky without being heavy. Chef Trotter waxed poetic---It's opulent and sleek. More on the toast, my performance for Chef Trotter and his responses later.

Meanwhile I am carefully packing many of Chef Trotter's gifts from the evening. One was the landmark work Ma Gastronomie A Classic of French Cuisine by Fernand Point. Fernand Point (1897 - 1955) is considered to be the father of modern French cuisine. For Point's Restaurant de la Pyramide in Vienne, in the old Roman town south of Lyon, he gained three Michelin stars and trained a generation of French master chefs including Paul Bocuse.

As the European Daurade with Tofu Puree, Bok Choy, Wasabi and Hijiki was served in grand style, Chef Trotter sat by me and read from his favorite passages of Ma Gastronomie. Chef Trotter's voice rose and fell softly accompanying the delicate daurade. I was deeply touched by his thoughtful inscription in the book.